This bike trail is a rail to trail conversion, following the old Milwaukee Railroad which was built around the turn of the century. Along the trail, there are markers indicating the distance from Chicago where the rail route originated (total distance 1750 miles).
The trail begins at the St. Paul Pass Tunnel on the Montana side. The tunnel is 1.7 miles long and the temperature inside remains a cool 44 degrees year round. The tunnel is really dark, illuminated only by the lights on the bicycles traveling through it. It seems to go on forever. The tunnel runs under the Montana/Idaho state line so when you come out the other side, you are in Idaho.
On the Idaho side of the tunnel is a beautiful natural waterfall and the start of an amazing adventure that takes you on trails, bridges, and tunnels through picturesque scenery. At one point, we stopped to enjoy a picnic lunch and take in the beauty around us.
The route is downhill so it is fairly easy for those of us with little mountain biking experience. It is approximately 17 miles long and when you finish, you are at the bottom of the mountain. A shuttle takes you and your bike back up to the Idaho side of the St. Paul Pass Tunnel. To get back to the parking lot, you have to travel through that really dark tunnel one more time.
It is pretty amazing when you reach the other side and realize what you have accomplished and the natural beauty that you have seen.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. What do you think?
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